Annie's Award-Winning Baked Beans

This recipe won me first place in a baked bean cook-off at the Western Idaho State Fair. They start with dried beans, so give yourself some extra time. Kind of sweet and savory and yummy.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 446 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 large bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring (Optional)
• 3 smoked ham hocks, or more to taste
• 3 cups dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
• 1 (12 ounce) package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can crushed pineapple
• ¾ cup brown sugar, or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce (such as A1®)
• 1 tablespoon good steak sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 or 4 slits evenly spaced through skin on ham hocks. Add ham hocks, onion, celery, bay leaves, garlic, liquid smoke, basil, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper to the water and bring to a good boil for 1 hour.

Step 3

Add beans to the pot. Return to a boil and cook gently until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check liquid level often and add more water if necessary.

Step 4

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Transfer bacon to a large bowl and add onion.

Step 5

Use a slotted spoon to dip beans and ham hocks out of the water and into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Reserve liquid from the beans. Clean all meat off of the ham hocks, discard bones, and add meat to the bowl with the bacon and onions.

Step 6

Mix in pineapple, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in steak sauce, good steak sauce, and garlic. Add liquid smoke, salt, and black pepper; mix until completely incorporated. Fold in bacon mixture. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour bean mixture into the baking pan and add some reserved bean liquid over beans if necessary.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until beans are hot and bubbly all around the edges, about 30 minutes.